31 Days At The Table: Day 1

Hello all and welcome to my 31 Day Challenge: 31 Days At The Table!  I hope you are looking forward to this challenge as much as I am.  For the next 31 days, my family is going to try to only eat homemade, healthy and mindfully prepared meals.  Nothing from a box and no fast food!  A handful of the recipes I will be sharing aren't mine, so when that's the case I'll be sure to share where I found the recipe as well as whatever changes we made and the family's response to the meal.  I've come up with a theme for each day so you'll kind-of know what to expect, and so I won't get too overwhelmed with sharing all of our meals.  I'll also link over to the meals I prepared last year so you can take a look at those if you'd like!

Mondays: Meatless- Finding healthy meatless options.

Tuesdays: Crock Pot- Fix it and Forget it!

Wednesdays: Soups- The best reason for cold weather.

Thursdays: Quick and Easy- On the table in 30 minutes or less!

Friday: Fish and Seafood

Saturday: Breakfasts- The most important meal of the day!

Sunday: Family Feasts- Designed to please a crowd.

So, without further ado... welcome to 31 Days At The Table!

South West Black Bean Pasta

Ingredients...
1T extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 orange or red bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1t cumin
1t dried oregano
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
15 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
15 ounce can tomato sauce
1/2 pound pasta- I used whole wheat linguini
Optional Garnishes: lime wedge, cilantro, cheddar cheese, sour cream

Directions...
In a dutch oven or other deep sided skillet, heat olive oil.  Add onion and sautee until they start to becomes translucent (about 5 minutes).
Add peppers and continue cooking until they begin to soften (about 2 to 3 minutes).
Add garlic and spices, cook until fragrant (about a minute).
Stir in beans and tomato sauce.  Simmer sauce while preparing pasta according to package directions. Top prepared pasta with sauce, and garnish with toppings of your choice.

Notes...
This was a fantastic no-meat option that the whole family enjoyed.  It would serve four adults, or if you're feeding kids with smaller appetites, up to six people.  I felt the cumin was a bit heavy handed though.  I really think cumin one of those spices where a little goes a long way.  Next time I'd use only about 1/2 teaspoon instead.  The kids loved it though, and that's all I can ask for.   
Happy cooking and see you tomorrow!
~Lindsey

One Year Ago...
Cheesy Chicken Casserole